Improvement in traction-engines



c. c. MERRIMAN.

Road Engine. k

' Patented 121, 1869-.

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Viv/14 drawings, formingpart of this specification.

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Letters Patent No. 95,032, dated September 21, 15869.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRACTION-ENGINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letter! Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern v Be, it known that I, O. O. MERRIMAN, ofBrighton, in the county of Monroe, and State of New York, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Traction-Engines and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,which will enable others skilled in theart to make and use the same,reference being" had to the accompanying My invention relates to animprovement in trac tion-engines; and

.It consists in producing the traction by feet secured to revolvingwheels in such a manner that they shall con'fbrm to and press .upon thesurface of the ground over which they pass, such wheels and feet beingactuated by a steanrengine or other motive-power by means ofgear-wheels, and in such a manner that the traction may be increased-ordiminished by the .line

of draught, as will be hereafter more fully described.

Figure 1 represents a plan-view of a carriage, provided with mytraction-wheels.

Figure 2 is a side view, partly sectioned, showing the position ofthefeet on the wheels, with the tubes in which the arms work, two of whichtubes are broken away to show the spiral spring by which the feet areforced outward.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding G is an internalgear-wheel, secured to the driving wheel A.

H is the driving pinion-wheel, to which the power.

is imparted from the engine by any suitable mechanical device.

I is the frame of the carriage.

J is a vertical rack attached to the frame, which is raised orloweredb'y the pinion It, for altering the line of draught icydepressingthe draught-chain L, or allowing it to rise M is a supporting andguide-wheel at the rear of the carriage.

By depressing the chain, as seen in the drawing,

the weightof the rear part of the engine will be thrown upon thedriving-wheels in proportion to the strain or draught, therebyblingingmore of the weight upon the feet'and increasing the traction.

The springs pressing the arms. outward should be of such strength as notto give much under the simple weight of the engine without draught.

The feet, by their arms, may be so placed that they work a littleforward of the centre of the wheel, as seen in the drawing, and they mayalso be hinged or jointed to the arms a little forward oftheir centre,so. that the greater pressure may come upon the front or.

toe-cork of the shoe, thereby imitating the position of the feet ofdraught-animals when drawing heavy loads.

The feet may be constructed in any suitable form or shape to conform tothe surface and irregularities of the ground or road, or they maypreferably be made to resemble the hoofs or feet of horses with theshoes on. Theymay be of any suitable material, and hinged or jointed tothe arms by any of the wellf known devices for that purpose, or arrangedso asto operate in any effective manner in combination ,,with thedriving-wheel or wheels.

- Having thus deseribedmy invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent f f 1. The'feet,as described, when arranged in any manner to operate in combination withone or more driving-wheels, for the purpose or producing traction.

2. The feet 0, when combined with the wheel A, and actuated by any kindof a spring or elastic material, substantially as specified.

3. The method of increasing or diminishing the traction by altering theline of draught, substantially as described.

4. The arrangement of the draught-chain L, relatively to the rear end ofthe engine, for increasing the pressure on the driving-wheels,substantially as specified.

v Witnesses J. H. Jnrrnns, E. B. COLLINS.

o." o. MERRIMAN.

